


The Enchanted Needle

by the_glare_you_see



Series: The Six Librarians and... [5]
Category: Six - Marlow/Moss, The Librarians (TV 2014)
Genre: Crossover, Curses, Flower Crowns, France (Country), Gen, How Do I Tag, Kinda, Sleep, enchanted objects, honestly, idk british slang, what is it with me and france??, who knows lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:27:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24603109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_glare_you_see/pseuds/the_glare_you_see
Summary: “Ready for another mission?” Anna asked, with a grin that she hoped looked real. Jane harshly swallowed.“No, not really,” she replied, “But I’m sure it’ll be fine. It’s just a sleeping curse.” Anna nodded. Jane was right, everything was going to be fine.--The Librarians get their second case.
Series: The Six Librarians and... [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1708546
Comments: 76
Kudos: 48





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> finals are finally over and i can mcfreaking breathe asjdfadf;afdh
> 
> anyway, get ready for some more shenanigans 
> 
> pls feel free to leave comments and kudos bc they make my day  
> ( ~~I crave validation~~ I mean, wHat?)
> 
> (but thank you to the ppl who, without fail, always leave comments. Y'all are the best!)
> 
> anyway, p l s stay safe and happy pride!
> 
> \- Zen

When Anna walked into the Annex that morning, she did not expect to see Micah splayed out on the floor, staring up at the ceiling with a listless expression on her face. She raised a brow and debated whether or not she should disturb the Guardian. The Clippings Book rattling and flipping open made the decision for her and she peered at the pages, squinting at the foreign headline. While attempting to decipher what language it was, she heard someone else enter.

“Micah? Are you alright?” she heard Jane ask. The Guardian grunted in reply. Anna turned around with a small frown on her face.

“Do any of you know how to speak French?” she asked.

“I don’t but Anne does, why?” Jane replied, absently holding a hand out for Micah to take. Anna pointed at the Clippings Book in response and Jane nodded in understanding, “I’ll go get her, then.”

She helped Micah to her feet and hurried out. The Guardian shuffled towards the book, tiredly running a hand through her hair. She looked like she hadn’t slept and Anna was sure that that was the same shirt she had seen on the Guardian yesterday.

“Are you… feeling alright?” Anna asked, as Micah practically folded herself in half, resting her elbows on the table. The Guardian blinked up at her, with eyebags dark enough to rival Cathy’s, and slowly nodded.

“I just… need coffee,” she replied. She stared blankly at the page for a few seconds before shaking her head, “I don’t even know why I’m trying to read this, I speak Italian.”

“They are similar languages,” Anna replied. Micah nodded and a slightly awkward silence settled over them. 

“Are you doing alright?” Micah asked, breaking her out of her reverie. Anna looked over in surprise, not having expected the question.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” she replied, glancing back down at the book.

Micah shrugged, “Last mission didn’t really go as planned. I just wanted to check on you.” Anna shifted awkwardly as her hands curled into loose fists.

“I’m ok,” she said. Micah raised a disbelieving brow but didn’t push any further. Jane finally returned with Anne, who was halfway through a bagel, and Cathy, who had a huge mug of coffee in hand. Anna gave a small wave and saw Micah perk up slightly at the smell of coffee.

“What did you need me for?” Anne asked, through a mouthful. Jane wrinkled her nose in distaste and Anne flashed her a cheeky grin.

“We need you to translate the articles,” Anna said, scooting over to make room. Anne walked over, taking another bite of her bagel, and began to read. 

“Is there any left?” Micah asked, pointing to the mug in Cathy’s hand.

Cathy thought for a moment before nodding, “Around half a pot, I think.” 

Micah grinned, “Good.” She swiftly exited the room with a new burst of energy, leaving the three Librarians to their own devices. Cathy curled up in one of the swivel chairs, carefully cradling her mug in her hands.

“Huh,” Anne said, beginning to read the articles again, “that’s interesting.”

“What is?” Anna asked, leaning forward.

“Almost everyone seems to be showing symptoms of Narcolepsy.”

“Narcolepsy?” Jane asked, “But that’s not magic at all.”

“It could be magic disguised as it,” Cathy said before taking another sip. 

“This might be a silly question,” Anna said, leaning her hip against the table and crossing her arms, “But what exactly is narcolepsy?”

“It’s not a silly question!” Jane replied, hurrying over to the table, “Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder where someone falls asleep at random intervals, usually during the day.” Anna blinked at her as Cathy took another loud sip of her coffee.

“Jane, are you sure you didn’t read these before I got here?” Anne asked, with a slight laugh. The blonde blushed and shook her head.

“I like audiobooks and YouTube is a surprisingly informative place if you know where to look,” she replied, sheepishly looking down at the table.

“Have you been fostering her YouTube habit?” Anna asked, shooting an amused look at Cathy.

Cathy grinned over the rim of her mug, “Maybe.”

“We’re getting off track,” Jane said, a light blush still staining her cheeks, “Is there anything else you can tell us, Anne?” Anne took another bite and her green eyes flew across the page.

“Well, the town’s obviously located in France and apparently everyone began experiencing symptoms around two or three months ago. Two people wound up in the hospital because a driver fell asleep at the wheel.” Anna winced and Jane frowned, drumming her fingers on the table in thought.

Anna raised a brow, “What is it, Jane? You have your thinking face on.”

“It’s just strange that almost everyone began experiencing symptoms at around the same time,” she replied.

“Ok, so if it’s not narcolepsy, or anything medical, what is it?” Anne asked

“A slow-acting sleeping curse?” Cathy supplied, beginning to swirl her coffee around.

“What’s a slow-acting sleeping curse?” Micah asked, having returned with a mug around the same size of Cathy’s clutched in her hands.

“The thing these poor townspeople are suffering from,” Jane replied. She frowned at the coffee clutched in the Guardian’s hand as Micah perched on the desk next to Cathy.

“Well, we should get the others then,” Micah said. Anne visibly paled and Anna bit back a chuckle.

\----

“Do you two really need that much coffee?” Catalina asked, warily eyeing the mugs that both Cathy and Micah were cradling. They had finally managed to locate Catalina, who was buried in a book about ancient languages in South America, and drag Kit away from her notebooks, which she had been obsessively pouring over and herded them into the Annex to finish coordinating their plans.

“Have you seen these eyebags?” Micah asked, with a dry smile.

"We're raccoon buddies," Cathy quipped, and they clinked their mugs together. Catalina just nodded, sighing in slight exasperation.

“So we’re going to… France?” Catalina asked with a raised brow. Anna nodded, squinting at the town she had scrawled onto a stray piece of paper.

“Are we leaving now?” Micah asked, “Or do I have time to finish my coffee?”

“If we leave now, we’ll arrive close to midnight so, yes you do have time,” Cathy said, frowning down at her now empty mug. She moved to go get a refill and Catalina caught her arm with a shake of her head.

“You also have time to go home, change and take a nap,” Jane said, already herding the Guardian towards the door.

“What? I’m fine!” Micah said, easily sidestepping the queen.

“Forgive me, but you look like shit,” Anne said with a shrug. Micah glared at her, although the effect was tempered due to the way she was swaying in place. Anne held her stare for a few seconds before Micah rolled her eyes.

“Fine! Call me when you’re ready to leave,” The Guardian, threw a weak wave over her shoulder and left, leaving the queens to their own devices. There was silence for a moment before Cathy sighed loudly.

“I’ll start researching sleeping curses,” Cathy said, walking towards the main Library.

“I’ll help,” Catalina said, quickly following her out of the room. Anne and Kit paired off, most likely going to cause some form of havoc, leaving Anna and Jane.

“Ready for another mission?” Anna asked, with a grin that she hoped looked real. Jane harshly swallowed.

“No, not really,” she replied, “But I’m sure it’ll be fine. After all, it’s just a sleeping curse.” Anna nodded. Jane was right, everything was going to be fine.

\----


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have returned lmaoo
> 
> yall, i had a semi-normal sleeping schedule for a total of 3 days and then it all went down the drain jsafkjadsfaf
> 
> anyway, hope yall enjoy
> 
> pls feel free to leave comments and kudos bc they make my day!
> 
> stay safe and happy pride!
> 
> <3 Zen

The moment Anne had stumbled through the door, she was struck with a wave of nostalgia so strong that it took her a few seconds longer than normal to get her bearings. They had arrived on a quaint street that looked like it came straight out of one of the postcards she had found floating around the Library.

_ “Mon Dieu,” _ she breathed, blinking back the sudden wave of tears. Dimly she registered everyone arriving and someone bumping into her back, sending her stumbling forward a few steps, but she couldn’t find it in herself to turn around.

Her eyes roamed over the trees she could see in the distance, the stonework present on the walls of the buildings, the flowers dotting the pavement. She'd never even been in this region of France in her previous life and she still felt like sobbing.

“Anne?” Micah’s voice snapped her out of her stupor and she spun around. Everyone was looking at her with expressions ranging from curious to understanding.

“Yeah?” she asked, ignoring the looks the rest were shooting at her.

"I was asking if you could go chat around with the locals because you're the only one who can speak French." 

“Oh, sure. I’ll go with,” Anne scanned the group, accidentally locking eyes with Catalina. Flashes of their previous mission tore through her mind and she awkwardly cleared her throat. 

“Kit,” she finished weakly, averting her gaze. She quickly moved to her cousin’s side, who was staring at her in mild amusement. After agreeing that they’d meet up at the cafe nearby, the group dispersed. Anne tucked her hands into the pocket’s of her hoodie and with Kit walking beside her, followed Anna and Cathy’s lead.

“You know you’re terrible at acting like nothing happened,” Kit murmured as they walked down the street. 

“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about,” Anne replied, keeping her eyes forward.

“It makes me wonder how you managed to win over Henry with your terrible acting skills.” Anne shot her an offended look.

“Excuse you, I am an excellent actress!”

“Not around Lina,” her cousin replied with a teasing grin. She ran to catch up to Anna and Cathy and was dragging the German off before Anne could even form a reply. The French queen sighed and quickly caught up to Cathy, who was staring at the spot Anna had occupied in bewilderment.

“I guess we’re on our own then,” Cathy said with an awkward smile. Anne nodded in response and they continued down the street.

\----

“Do you even know where you’re going, Katze?” Anna asked with a slight laugh as Kit dragged her towards what seemed to be the town square.

“Nope! But it’s so pretty here and I just want to take it all in,” Kit grinned over her shoulder, coming to a stop near the fountain, “We have time before we need to meet up with the rest anyway.” 

Anna grinned and sat down on the edge of the fountain, content to watch as Kit ran around the square with the type of wide-eyed wonder she had rarely seen in their previous life. The fifth queen was snapping pictures and asking a multitude of questions with the help of a translator app she had found on her phone, much to the amusement of the locals. 

Her attention was caught by someone stumbling next to her, barely catching herself on the rim of the fountain. A curtain of bright red hair blocked her face and Anna quickly placed a steadying hand on the girl’s shoulders and guided her onto the fountain, brows furrowed in concern.

“Are you alright?” Anna asked, praying that she understood English. The redhead shook her head sharply and thrust her shoulders back in an attempt to seem alert.

“I must ‘ave tripped on something,” she groused, “I feel like I’m getting clumsier and clumsier these days.”

“Can I get you anything? Water or food?” The girl shook her head, pushing a stray strand of hair back.

“No, I’m alright,” she replied, as her eyes began to slip closed. With some effort, she kept them open and a lopsided grin spread across her face, “Thank you for asking though.” Anna shrugged, awkwardly scratching the back of her neck.

“What’s your name?”

“I’m Cady, Cady Heron!” A pale hand was held out and Anna shook it, “What’s your name?” Anna was about to reply when someone shouted her name.

“Anna!” Kit called. The German turned around and saw Kit running towards her. She had somehow managed to get a flower crown, which was perched crookedly on her head. In her hands, she cradled a spare and Anna resigned herself to the thought of wearing it for the rest of the day. She scrunched her face as Kit gently plopped the crown on her head.

“Thanks, Katze,” Anna said. Kit grinned in response before her eyes darted to the redhead.

“Did you make a new friend?” she asked, shyly waving at Cady, who waved back and introduced herself.

“Have you lived here long?” 

"I’ve been here for the past few years. I’m part of the exchange program for my college.”

“That’s so cool!”

"Do you know anything about the cases of narcolepsy going around?" Anna asked, still crouched in front of her.

“Is that what’s been happening?” Cady asked, before covering a yawn, “To be completely honest, I haven’t been paying much attention. I just thought that school had finally caught up to them and that’s why people were passed out on park benches.”

Anna and Kit shared a concerned look before Cady toppled forward, sending Anna crashing to the ground with a surprised yelp. 

_ “Scheisse,” _ Anna whispered as she adjusted the girl into a more comfortable position. Her lower back throbbed from where it had connected with the hard cobblestone ground.

“She’s not dead, is she?” Kit asked, squatting next to the German and gently poking the redhead’s cheek. Cady snorted but didn’t wake.

“I think she’s just asleep,” Anna said, “I think she was trying not to fall asleep earlier.” She noticed the scarf around Cady’s neck, which bore an interesting logo near the edge. It was a loopy cloud with a small crescent moon on the right. In an equally loopy font, Anna could just about decipher the words  _ Rêves Tricotés. _

“Katze,” she said, snapping Kit out of her worried stupor.

“Yeah?”

“Can you look up this company?” she asked, showing the logo. Kit furrowed her brow and whipped out her phone. She absentmindedly pushed her flower crown up, making it more lopsided than it already was and Anna held back a chuckle.

“Mhmm, just give me a second.” Anna felt her leg start to go numb as Kit tapped away on her phone. Cady slept on, obvious to the world.

\----

As they made their way to the more residential area of the town, Jane had managed to sandwich herself between Micah and Catalina. As much as she hated to admit it, she was still shaken from the previous mission. Micah had given her a tired but understanding look when she tried to squeeze between them and had moved out of the way with no comment. Catalina offered her a small smile, which she shyly returned.

“This place looks like it came straight out of a romantic comedy,” Micah muttered, glancing around at the quiet neighborhood. They passed by a slightly run-down house, with an old man patiently working in the yard. He spotted them passing by and set his trowel down. The beanie on his head, which was definitely not suited for garden work slipped down his face. He pushed it up with an annoyed sigh and Jane spied a loopy cloud logo on the brim.

_ “Qui êtes vous?” _ he called, limping over to the fence. 

_ “Siamo i bibliotecari,” _ Micah replied with an awkward smile, _ “Mi dispiace, ma non parlo Francese,” _ She hoped the message was clear, they were, after all, similar languages. He hacked out a laugh and waved his hand in dismissal.

“Do you speak English?” His face crinkled into a smile when they nodded, “What brings you to my ‘umble town?”

“We came to, ah, assess the patterns of sleep and how it changes according to the seasons,” Micah said. Jane looked at her in bewilderment and saw the painfully fake smile on the Guardian’s face.

“Our Library is looking to update its archives,” Jane added. The man tilted his head and dusted off his pants.

“Well, people  _ ‘ave _ been falling asleep more than usual,” he said with a frown, “But I’m sure they’ll be more than willing to help you.” He gazed at them for a moment before unlatching the gate. “Would any of you like some coffee?”

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> special thanks to Harmonic_Wisp who came up with the company name
> 
> also, all the French is gonna be from google translate so if I get something wrong, pls let me know lmaoo
> 
> anyway, scream at me on Tumblr: @judging-seahorse


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyo
> 
> this chapter gave me grief so sorry if this sucks. i tried to catch all my errors, but if some slipped past me, ill get them later lmaoo
> 
> anyway, pls feel free to leave comments and kudos bc they make my day!
> 
> stay safe, yall!
> 
> \- Zen

Cathy had been staring at a particularly interesting (to her, at least) architectural choice on the building across from them when Anne had started to repeatedly whack her arm.

“What is it?” Cathy asked, spinning around to face the second queen. She didn't reply and only pointed to someone lying face-first on the pavement. Cathy’s eyes widened and they both began to hurry towards him with Cathy nearly tripping over her feet. They flipped him over as gently as possible and Anne winced at the bloody nose that was present on his face. He looked to be in his early twenties and Anne began rifling through his pockets and Cathy checked his breathing.

“What are you doing?” Cathy hissed, batting her hands away from his pockets. Anne huffed and continued her search, holding up a black wallet with a smug smile.

“I’m looking for identification,” she replied. Cathy pursed her lips and pulled out the gadget she had brought with her on a whim. It was slightly bigger than a phone with a circular antenna that protruded from the top. Hesitantly, she began to pass it over the man, watching intently as the small screen flickered to life.

“Oh, now who’s being creepy,” Anne retorted. 

Cathy rolled her eyes. “It’s not creepy,” she replied, pausing at the look Anne gave her and sighed, “Ok, fine, it’s a little creepy, but this is supposed to pick up any traces of magic that are in the area.” 

_ “Right. _ Anyway, his name is Damian Hubbard and apparently he’s from America. So whatever this sleeping thing is, it’s also affecting foreigners.” The device began to beep rapidly around his right pocket and Cathy pulled out a knit headband.

“So the headband is magic then? Are we supposed to be looking for magical headbands?” Anne asked as Cathy passed the device over it just to make sure. The response was a resounding  _ beep. _

\----

_ “Rêves Tricotés,” _ Kit read aloud, one hundred percent sure she butchered the name, “also known as Knitted Dreams, is a clothing company based in France. It was founded in 1935 and they are very proud of the fact that most of their supplies are locally sourced.” Cady started awake, causing Kit to almost drop her phone in the fountain.

“Hey, hey,” Anna said, helping her sit up, “You’re ok.”

“I am so sorry!” she exclaimed, “How long was I out?”

“A few minutes,” Kit replied, perching on the edge of the fountain, “Can you tell us what happened?”

Cady stared at her then sighed. “I was feeling tired and I thought it was just a feeling that would pass but I guess not.”

“Did you eat or drink anything funny today?” Anna asked. Cady shook her head.

“No, my diet’s been as normal as it can be.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket and checked the time. Her eyes widened and she jumped up, smiling in apology, “Sorry, but I have to go. I’m late for class!”

“It’s alright. Be safe,” Kit said, as Cady ran off. She was slightly worried that Cady would once more topple over fast asleep, but the redhead seemed to be wide awake.

“Don’t worry, Katze,” Anna said, stretching her cramping leg out, We’ll figure this out.” Kit was about to reply when her phone lit up with a call.

“Hey, Anne,” Kit said, putting the phone on speaker and pulling Anna down to sit next to her, “What’s up?”

\----

“Cathy and I found someone under the sleeping spell. He hasn’t woken up yet, but we did find a headband with traces of magic on it. Have you had any luck?” Anne was slowly pacing around in front of Damian. Cathy remained crouched on the floor, studying the multi-colored headband.

_ “Where’s the headband from?” _ Anna’s voice crackled through the speaker. Anne’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“Cathy,” she said, covering the speaker. The final queen looked up, “Where's the headband from?”

_ “Rêves Tricotés,” _ she replied, squinting at the loopy font. Anne snorted at her pronunciation and repeated the title. She heard fumbling on the other side, and Kit’s voice rang through.

_ “That’s the same company that made the scarf Cady was wearing.” _ Kit mused. 

Anne frowned. “Who’s Cady?” Kit either didn’t hear her question or chose to ignore it in favor of continuing her line of thought.

_ “Did you know the company’s actually located here, in this town?” _ Her cousin didn’t give her a chance to reply, “ _ Would you two go check them out? We’ll watch over your guy for you.”  _

“Yeah, sure,” Anne replied. She told them where their location was and ended the call.

“What was that about?” Cathy asked, peering up at her.

“Kit and Anna want us to check out the company, apparently they’re based here, and they’re gonna watch him unless he wakes up before they get here.” Cathy nodded in understanding and stood, shaking out her legs.

“Did you return his wallet?” Anne tossed Damian’s wallet at Cathy, who tucked it and the headband back into his pocket.

\----

“So you distract them while I go and scan for magic,” Cathy said, shoving the magic detector into her pocket. 

“I’m terrible at small talk!” Anne hissed as they made their way to the wooden door. 

“Just… pretend you’re an extremely lost tourist who’s terrible with directions,” Cathy replied, giving Anne a light push. The second queen glared at her and walked up to the counter with a smile as Cathy snuck through the side door. She could hear Anne chattering away in French and found herself in a small warehouse, filled with boxes of scarves, hats, sweaters, and other miscellaneous items. She pulled out the scanner and began to walk down the first aisle, holding the scanner up.

She had fallen into a lull as she continued walking, turning down the next aisle. A sharp  _ beep _ from the scanner nearly made her jump out of her skin and she quickly began waving it around, accidentally knocking into the nearby shelf. She quickly backed away and watched as the boxes tumbled to the floor.

“Fuck,” Cathy whispered. The crash echoed throughout the warehouse and the scanner began to beep like crazy. Quickly, she shoved a scarf into her pocket and sprinted out the back door, which also happened to be the fire exit. (Just her luck. )

She heard the alarms go off behind her, but didn’t dare turn around, running until she was safe behind the neighboring building. She spotted Anne hurrying outside, and frantically waved to catch her attention. The second queen jogged up to her and Cathy pulled her behind the building as the employees began to filter outside, loudly complaining.

“What did you do?” Anne asked as they began to quickly make their way towards the cafe and away from the building.

“I accidentally set off the fire alarm. But, I did manage to get this,” she pulled the scarf out of her pocket with a flourish. 

“A scarf? You made me act like a bumbling tourist for a  _ scarf?” _

“A scarf with magic,” Cathy replied, pulling out the scanner. It beeped when she waved it over the scarf and she smirked in triumph, “Let’s go check on the others.”

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cathy you clumsy child--
> 
> lmao okiee baii


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some days you just feel like your ability to write is just deteriorating.
> 
> anyway, this is kinda a filler chapter but not really
> 
> hope yall enjoy
> 
> pls feel free to leave comments and kudos bc they make my day!
> 
> stay safe yall
> 
> \- Zen

The man’s name was Pierre and he made amazing coffee. Not that Micah could give an honest opinion, because she was able to only take one sip before Catalina took her cup away. (She will forever deny that she pouted, because she doesn’t pout, no matter how much Jane and Catalina insist she did.)

“Thank you for the coffee,” Jane said after she took a tentative sip.

“You’re welcome,” he replied with a grin, “Did you have any questions that I could answer?”

“I take it you’ve lived here for a while,” Catalina said, folding her hands on the table. 

Pierre nodded. _“Oui,_ ever since I was a boy.” 

“These cases of narcolepsy, did they just come out of nowhere?”

“One of the quirks about this town,” Pierre said, casting his gaze to the window, “is that narcolepsy is something of a staple here.”

“How do you mean?” Micah asked.

“Well, most of the people are diagnosed with narcolepsy. It’s why no one bats an eye when they see someone asleep in strange spots. It’s gotten more frequent this month-- enough for the media to notice.”

Jane and Catalina were nodding along and Micah felt her phone buzzing in her pocket and pulled it out. The other four were already at the cafe waiting and Anne was spamming the group chat for the rest of them to hurry up.

“I’m sorry,” Micah said, once there was a lull in the conversation, “but we need to go.” She turned to the queens, “They’re waiting for us.”

“Oh! Yes, thank you Pierre for your hospitality!” Jane said as their host escorted them to the door.

“It was my pleasure,” he replied with a smile, “I hardly ever get to entertain guests. Please feel free to stop by again!”

“Those flowers are beautiful,” Jane said, pointing to the patches of Forget-Me-Nots that framed the house.

_“Merci._ I try my best with them.” He gazed at the flowers for a moment before stepping back into the house. Jane scurried down the path, to where Micah and Catalina were waiting and joined them.

“Well that was a bust,” Micah said. 

“Not necessarily. Something magical must be going on or else the Clippings Book wouldn’t have sent us here,” Catalina replied.

“Well, let’s hope the others had better luck,” Micah said, starting off in the direction of the cafe, “Oh and Lina?” The Guardian flashed a cheeky grin over her shoulder, “I’m ordering coffee this time and you can’t stop me.” Catalina rolled her eyes and shared an exasperated smile with Jane, as the two set off.

\----

Anna and Kit were seated at the corner booth, with another table connected in order to make room for everyone.

“Where are the other two?” Micah asked, as she was pulled into the seat next to Kit, who had a mischievous smile on her face. Catalina glanced at the fifth queen suspiciously before slipping into the other side of the booth.

“Cathy’s in the bathroom and Anne got distracted by one of the shops. Could you go get her, Jane?” The blonde stopped, already halfway into a sitting position, and nodded.

“Sure.” She quickly exited the cafe and returned with Anne in tow. Catalina’s eyes widened as Jane shooed Anne into the booth, right next to her. They exchanged awkward nods and waited for Cathy, who had just exited the bathroom. Micah stood up and offered her seat, grabbing another from a nearby table and sitting at the head.

It took all of Catalina’s willpower to not jump every time Anne’s thigh so much as brushed hers. She was stuck between the widow and the second queen, with Anne fidgeting around. She resolutely stared down at the table, looking up briefly to give her order to the waitress, and listened as Kit and Cathy explained what happened to them, the stolen scarf lying on the table.

Anne’s knee knocked into hers rather violently and she jumped, rattling the silverware on the table. Everyone looked at them and she flushed.

“Are you alright, Lina?” Micah asked, from where she was slouched over the table. The urge to press her fingers between the Guardian’s shoulder blades and correct her posture appeared, but she refrained.

“I’m fine,” she replied. They all stared at her for a second longer before Cathy went back to explaining her theory. Catalina let out a quiet sigh of relief and shot Anne a glare.

“Sorry,” Anne whispered, slightly pulling into herself. Feeling a small seed of guilt well up in her she shook her head.

“It’s ok.” She tuned back into the conversation but noticed that Anne kept her fidgeting to a minimum.

\----

“Oh! You have one of their scarves!” their waitress (Janis was the name on her nametag) exclaimed, precariously balancing a tray of drinks. Cathay laughed awkwardly, tucking the scarf into her pocket.

“Yes, we do.”

“You know that company has the strangest history,” She said, setting their drinks down on the table.

“Really?” Kit asked, scooting forward. 

“The most popular story is about Lucet and her lover,” Janis said, “It’s a tale about two people, desperately in love but separated by familial pressure and social classes!” Everyone at the table, except Micah, shifted awkwardly.

“What happened to them?” Jane asked. Janis glanced around, and seeing no one, pulled up a chair and sat down. She leaned forward on her elbows with a conspiratorial grin. 

“Well, _Rêves Tricotés_ is known for its locally sourced materials, and the Vaudeville family owns the company and the sheep farm from where they get their wool. Lucet Vaudeville was the heir to the company and she fell in love with one of the sheepherders. Her family found out, obviously, and fired him.”

“How did she take it?” Cathy asked, eyes sparkling with interest.

“Not well,” Janis replied with a small frown, “they found her the next day unconscious. She’s been in a coma ever since.”

_“Janis! Je tu paye pour servir des tables, pas pour s'asseoir et bavarder a les tables!”_

_“Désolée monsieur!”_ Janis replied, hopping up, “Looks like I gotta go. If you want to know more, you can go to Ariane Minot, that’s her cousin. She inherited the company after Lucet, you know…”

“Where does she live?” Micah asked.

“Not far. Down the street and around the corner, you can’t miss it. It’s the huge white house at the end.”

_“Maintenant, Janis!”_ The waitress shot them a grin and waved, taking the chair and scurrying off to collect orders. Everyone sat, drinks semi-forgotten, as they contemplated the information.

“So,” Micah said, breaking the silence, “When do you want to pay Ariane a visit?”

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vaudeville is pronounced vohd- vee
> 
> Minot is pronounced mee-noh for those who are curious
> 
> lmao okiee baii


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyo, heyo
> 
> this chapter might be crap, and its like, very dialogue-heavy lmaoo 
> 
> we are, however, nearing the end (of this story lmao)
> 
> anyway, pls feel free to leave comments and kudos bc they make my day!
> 
> stay safe yall
> 
> \- Zen

The house was exactly where Janis said it would be, and the seven walked up the slightly winding driveway to the oak door. Micah dropped to the back, leaving Anne and Kit in the front. Anne shot her a quizzical look and the Guardian shrugged. Kit rang the doorbell and they listened as it echoed through the house.

“That’s one loud doorbell,” Anna said and Micah snorted. The door opened and a greying lady poked her head out.

_“Êtes-vous Ariane Minot?”_ Anne asked. She nodded, brows furrowed in slight confusion.

_“Oui, qui êtes-vous?”_

_“Nous sommes les Bibliothécaires.”_ The confused furrow disappeared after a second and Ariane smiled, opening the door wider.

_“Merveilleux! S'il vous plaît, entrez,”_ They all filed inside and Ariane shut the door. She led them to a sitting room and perched on one of the armchairs. The rest followed in suit, perching awkwardly on the couch.

The conversation flowed somewhat smoothly, with Anne transitioning the conversation into English so that everyone could understand and she didn’t have to translate every sentence.

“We are very, how you say, ‘tradition-oriented,’ so we spin our yarn from a manual spinning wheel.”

“A spinning wheel?” Micah murmured, from where she was perched on the armrest of the couch. Ariane nodded, having heard the Guardian.

“Oui, I can show you where, if you’d like.” A woman hurried into the room, a wild, worried look in her eyes.

“Ariane,” she said, her voice urgent.

“Yes,” she replied, with a raised brow.

“You need to come quick, her blood pressure has dropped,” they said. Ariane’s eyes widened and she flew up from her seat, moving surprisingly quick for her old age.

“Please excuse me,” she said, hurrying out of the room. They all shared a perplexed look and followed after her. 

They entered a decently sized room, a heart monitor steadily beeping away. A small form lay on the bed, connected to a number of tubes and machines. Ariane was already hovering over, having a hushed conversation with the nurse.

“Who is this?” Micah asked, cautiously stepping into the room.

“Lucet Vaudeville,” Ariane replied, casting them a quizzical glance.

“That’s Lucet?” Anne asked, pushing past Micah, who grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Ariane nodded, turning back to the nurse and speaking rapidly in French.

“What are they saying?” Anna asked, popping up behind them. Micah jumped, whirling around, with her fist raised to strike.

“Anna!” the Guardian hissed, shuffling further into the room. Anne strained her ears and slowly began to translate. They watched as Ariane sat on the edge of the bed, burning her head in her hands.

“Perhaps, we could be of some assistance,” Catalina said. Ariane looked over at them once more.

“How?”

“We’re Librarians,” Anna said, with a reassuring smile, “Trust us.” Ariane laughed in slight disbelief as the nurse helped her up and began to guide her out of the room.

“What strange Librarian’s you are,” she replied, and soon she was out the door. _You have no idea,_ Anna thought, turning back to the room. Jane and Catalina had made their way over to Lucet.

“Guys, look at this,” Jane said, holding Lucet’s hand up. On her pointer finger, a circular wound, that still seemed fresh, stood out, “It looks fresh, but I don’t understand how.”

“It looks like she was pierced by a needle,” Anna said, stepping closer.

“She was pierced by a needle and sent into a coma?” Micah asked with a raised brow. Cathy pulled out her scanner and scanned the wound, nodding when the screen lit up and began beeping.

“The wound’s magic, so that probably means she’s not in a coma.” Cathy said, “At least, not a regular or medically induced coma.” Jane set her hand down and stood up.

“She was pierced by a needle and sent into an eternal sleep!” Anne exclaimed startling Kit who was standing next to her. Anne patted her shoulder in a silent apology.

“Like Sleeping Beauty?” Anne nodded.

“Ok, so if it is like Sleeping Beauty, where do we find the needle?” Cathy asked.

_“And,_ how do we wake her up?” Kit added. Cathy pointed at her and nodded in agreement.

“Well that parts obvious, isn't it,” Catalina said with a grim smile. They all looked at her and she sighed, like the answer was obvious, “If we’re going by the story, then we need to find her true love.”

“Oh, that might be a bit hard,” Anna said.

“Yeah, does true love even exist?” Kit asked with a raised brow. To their surprise, Micah nodded. At their expectant looks, she elaborated.

“True love does exist. It’s like the most powerful magic and kind of the last resort for a lot of curses. Though, it is, um, extremely rare.

Anna snapped her fingers, remembering what Janis had told them. “The shepherd boy!”

“Do you think he’s still here?” Jane asked.

“It wouldn’t hurt to check and it’s the only lead we’ve got,” Anna replied.

“Ok well, we’ll find the needle,” Micha said, gesturing to Anne and Cathy, “you four find out who the shepherd was and bring him here.”

\----

They bumped into Ariane on their way down and Jane noticed the small bouquet of flowers in her hands.

“Oh, what lovely flowers!” she exclaimed, momentarily stopping.

“Ah yes,” Ariane said, glancing down at the small bouquet, “They’re not for me, though.”

“Who are they for?” Jane asked. She heard someone sigh impatiently and she cast an apologetic smile at the other Librarians.

“Every year on her birthday, someone sends a bouquet. I don’t know who sends it because there’s never a return address.”

“What type of flowers are those?”

“I’m pretty sure they’re Forget-Me-Nots.” 

Jane’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Jane,” Anna called, already halfway to the door. She nodded and hurried down the stairs.

“Librarians, we might have a bit of a situation,” Micah said, once Jane had joined the group. Outside, they could see people, one after the other dropping onto the floor, fast asleep.

“Has the curse been supercharged or something? They’re dropping like flies.”

“We need to find that needle,” Anne said.

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> scream at me on tumblr: @judging-seahorse


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been a while lmaooo
> 
> sorry about that
> 
> anyway, feel free to leave comments and kudos bc they make my day!
> 
> enjoy and stay safe yall!
> 
> \- Zen

“So how do you think we should do this?” Anna asked, turning to the other three. Anne and Cathy had already taken off, dragging Micah with them and leaving the others to find the shepherd. 

“I think our best bet for finding her true love is to find where the bouquet came from,” Jane replied.

“What does the bouquet have to do with anything?” Anna asked.

“Well, Ariane told me that every year, on her birthday someone sends her a bouquet of flowers, ” Jane replied.

_ “Every _ year?” Catalina asked and Jane nodded.

“That does take a lot of commitment,” Anna murmured, “Ok, let’s go find ourselves some flowers.”

\----

The town center seemed like a completely different place, with people collapsed onto the pavement, and over shop stands, fast asleep.

“Those poor flower crowns,” Kit whispered, gesturing to one stand. The owner was fast asleep on top of a few crowns, effectively crushing them flat.

"This might be harder than we thought,” Anna grumbled, peeking into the connecting flower shop and seeing everyone asleep, “Do you think if we removed the hat or whatever, they’ll wake up?” 

Kit shrugged. “Maybe? We can try it.” Anna pulled the door open and they all filed inside. Anna walked up to the desk and gently eased off the knitted hat, checking to confirm that it was the correct brand before setting it on the counter and waiting for the cashier to wake up. Anna pursed her lips and poked the cashier's cheek a few times before Kit nudged her to stop. Slowly, the cashier awoke, blinking up sleepily at them and shooting up straight. A frazzled, yet professional smile appeared on his face.

“Are you alright?” Anna asked. The cashier nodded, glancing around the shop, eyebrows climbing higher and higher as he took in all of the unconscious forms in the shop.

“What… happened?” he weakly asked, bringing a hand to his head. Kit drifted back over to Catalina, eying the man warily as he continued to scan the shop, disbelief evident on his face.

“Widespread narcolepsy?” Jane offered with a sheepish chuckle. He let out a weak laugh and rubbed his face.

“I am so sorry about that. What can I help you with?”

“Have there been any orders for a small bouquet of forget-me-nots for the past few years? Usually delivered around this time?” The cashier pursed his lips and pulled up the order logs. After a few seconds of silence, he shook his head.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t see any orders for that.” Jane, who had been looking around the shop in polite interest, spun around, grey eyes wide with realization.

“I think I know where to find the shepherd,” she said, making her way to the door. The other three exchanged confused glances and hurried after her, with Anna shouting a “thank you” to the still bewildered cashier. 

\----

“This is kind of creepy,” Anne said when they passed by yet another unconscious person. Micah nodded in agreement.

Cathy stumbled in front of them and Micah’s hand shot out to steady her.

“Are you ok?” Anne asked, watching as Cathy shook herself out.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Maybe you should get rid of the scarf,” Micah said, “I don’t think it’s doing you any favors.” Cathy shrugged and pulled the scarf out of her pocket. She looked around and tossed it unceremoniously at a nearby bench. Micah snorted.

“Let’s go,” Cathy muttered, bringing the scanner up again and setting off.

“Do you even know where you’re going?” Anne asked in slight exasperation, hurrying after her. Cathy didn’t reply, hurrying down yet another street. The two shared an exasperated glance and followed after her.

\----

The scanner led them to another warehouse, on the far side of town. It was sketchy enough to have Micah palming a blade as Cathy walked up to the door, scanner held aloft.

“If the scanner is right,” Cathy called over her shoulder as she tugged on the door, “Then the needle should be somewhere in here.” She tugged on the door, face screwing up in confusion when the door wouldn’t budge.

“Try pushing it!” Anne called, grinning in amusement. Cathy shot an unamused look over her shoulder and pushed. The door still didn’t budge.

“I think it’s locked, queenie,” Micah said.

“Don’t call me queenie,” Cathy replied, stepping back with a sigh.

Micah chuckled and walked up to the door. She stared at it for a second, then with one swift kick, managed to get it open.

“Did you just--” Anne sputtered as Micah clutched her foot in pain, hopping around.

_ “Fuck!” _ she hissed, as Cathy shuffled past her, “I honestly did not expect that to work.” Anne laughed and offered an arm for support. They entered the warehouse, the Guardian limping slightly, and coming face to face with several spinning wheels. 

“Any luck, Cathy?” Anne called. Micah let go of her arm. The scanner let out the loudest beep they had heard so far, causing all three to jump and for Cathy to almost drop it.

“I think I found it,” she said, pocketing the scanner and reaching for the needle. She tugged it out and Anne’s eyes widened in alarm.

“Wait, Cathy don’t touch the--” Anne watched in dismay as Cathy crumpled to the floor in a snoring heap, “needle.” Micah facepalmed, inhaling deeply and obviously holding back a scream of frustration.

“She didn’t prick herself, did she?” Micah asked, pulling her jacket over her hand and picking up the needle. She fought back the wave of sleepiness that washed over her, dropped it into a nearby bag, and handed it to Anne, who warily took it.

“No, I don’t think she did,” Anne replied, staring at Cathy’s now unconscious form. They were silent for a moment before Anne sighed, one hand flying up to pick at her choker. “Lina’s going to kill us.”

\----

“Pierre!” Jane called, knocking on the door. Catalina peeked through the windows, not spotting any signs of life.

“Jane, I think he’s asleep,” she said, when no one came to answer the door, “He was wearing one of the hats.”

“Then how are we getting in?” 

“I could try to kick it down,” Anna said. 

_ “No one _ is kicking anything down!” Catalina said when Anna began to step up to the door, “Let’s check to see if it’s unlocked first.”

Not breaking eye contact, Anna reached over and twisted the knob. It turned easily and Catalina bit back a grin at her surprised look.

“You two wait out here,” Jane said, holding the door open for Catalina to pass through, “we’ll try to wake him up.”

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mean, at least Cathy's getting the sleep she needs?
> 
> scream at me on tumblr: @judging-seahorse
> 
> lmao ok baii


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *pokes head out from behind a door* heyyyyyyyy
> 
> have I been procrastinating updating this? yes, yes I have.
> 
> lmao anyway, hope yall enjoy. 
> 
> pls feel free to leave comments and kudos bc they make my day!
> 
> stay safe, y'all
> 
> \- Zen

“How long does it take to wake someone up?” Anna asked, glancing at the door. Kit shrugged, tugging off her flower crown and smoothing out her hair.

“When they’re under a sleeping curse?” she asked with a raised brow, “Who knows.” Anna nodded in agreement and stuck out one leg, attempting to shake out the growing ache in her foot. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out, squinting at the screen.

“Hello?” she said, putting the phone on speaker so that Kit could also hear.

_ “Hey, does Lina happen to be with you?” _ Micah asked. She sounded slightly apprehensive and Anna raised a brow.

“No, she’s not with us, she’s with Jane,” Kit replied, “Why?”

_ “Oh, thank God,” _ they faintly heard Anne say.

_ “No reason,” _ Micah replied with a soft chuckle,  _ “How are things on your end?” _

“Well, Jane thinks she knows who the shepherd is so we’re currently waiting for them to get him. What about you?”

There was a hushed argument over the speakers and Anna could make out the words “commit” and “die” before Anne’s voice rang through the phone.

“Well, we found the needle...” Anne trailed off and a sigh crackled through the speakers.

“That’s good isn’t it?” Kit asked.

“Yes, it’s very good, great, actually!” Anne replied, “Only we’ve had a  _ slight _ mishap.” 

“What happened?”

“See, the Needle’s power is very strong,” Micah said, very carefully choosing her words, “And, well-”

“Hold on, where’s Cathy?” Kit asked, realizing that the final queen hadn’t spoken at all during the call. There was silence over the phone and Anna’s jaw dropped when she realized what happened.

“Oh, Lina’s going to kill you two,” Anna breathed.

“We know,” Micah replied, “I don’t suppose you'd like to serve as a wall between us.”

Kit laughed. “No, you’re on your own.”

\----

“Pierre?” Catalina called, slowly walking through the house. There was no answer and the two exchanged worried looks as they walked deeper into the house. Entering what she assumed was the sitting room, she found Pierre lying face down, peacefully asleep. 

“Oh dear,” Jane said, rushing forward and gently flipping him over. Catalina slipped into the kitchen and returned with a glass of water and several towels. She stepped up next to Jane, who had removed the hat that he was wearing, and unceremoniously poured the water on his face.

“Lina!” Jane exclaimed, as he sputtered awake. 

She shrugged. “We’re on a time limit and it  _ worked, _ didn’t it?” Jane just sighed and helped Pierre get his bearings, leading him over to the couch and offering the towels.

“I don’t mean to be rude,” he said, beginning to pat down his face, “But what are you doing in my house?”

“It’s a long story,” Catalina replied with a sheepish smile.

“Pierre,” Jane began to ask, perching on one end of the couch, “When you were younger, did you know Lucet Vaudeville?” Pierre sighed as he finished wiping his face.

“Yes, I knew her. Long ago,” he replied, “We were so young, so... in love and carefree.” He trailed off, eyes shining brightly.

“Then what happened?” Catalina asked softly.

“Her family was not too keen on her running off with a shepherd boy,” he replied with a dry chuckle, “They fired me and I never saw her again. A few years later, one of the workers there told me that she had fallen into a coma. I tried to move on, but…” He sighed, looking at the both of them, “The heart wants what it wants. And mine wanted her-- still wants her.”

\----

The quintet spotted Anne and Micah, trudging up to the house, with someone slung over Micah’s back. As they got closer, it became clear that it was Cathy and Jane, Anna, and Kit all backed up when they noticed Catalina’s almost trembling frame.

“What did you do?” Catalina asked, voice tight. The final queen was slung, piggyback style on Micah’s back, snoring away peacefully. Anne and Micah shared an awkward look and Micah nudged the second queen.

“We didn’t do anything,” Anne replied, “She’s the one who touched the needle.”

“And you  _ let her?” _

Micah swallowed and adjusted Cathy’s position on her back.

“Well, it wasn’t our intention-” the Guardian replied, dutifully shutting up at the glare Catalina shot at her.

“I thought you were supposed to be a Guardian?” Catalina asked, crossing her arms with a raised brow. Micah’s jaw clenched and her shoulders rose sharply with the deep breath that she took.

In a clipped, measured voice, she replied. “I  _ am _ a Guardian.”

“Well,” a muscle in Catalina’s jaw jumped, “Everytime we go on a mission,  _ someone _ gets hurt or cursed or something! Aren’t you supposed to protect us from that?” Micah didn’t reply, jaw working from the amount of force she was using to keep it clenched shut.

“We’ve been on  _ two _ missions, Catti, and it was an accident,” Anne said, holding her arms out in a placating gesture as Micah swallowed harshly. “I’m sure Cathy’s going to be fine so why don’t you  _ calm down--” _

“Don’t tell me what to do, Boleyn!” Catalina snapped. Anne shot Micah a look that said  _ ‘I tried’ _ and shuffled slightly away.

“Lina,” Jane said, placing a hand on her shoulder to get her attention, “I think we have  _ slightly _ more important things to worry about. Like Lucet and Pierre? And getting the needle out of here?” 

“When we get back to the Library, Jenkins can look her over,” Anna piped up. Catalina shut her eyes and nodded sharply.

“Fine,” she replied, sidestepping Micah and entering the house once more. With a reassuring smile shot at the Guardian, Jane followed.

“Honestly, that could’ve gone a lot worse,” Anne said. Kit hummed in agreement and Micah sighed.

“I’ll stay out here and call for a door. If you need anything,” the Guardian shrugged, “ Come find me.”

\----

“This is her?” he asked, slowly walking towards Lucet’s sleeping form. Jane and Anna followed him inside, while Catalina lingered in the doorway. Jane nodded.

“So you want me to just,” he gestured helplessly, “kiss her?”

“Apparently, true love’s kiss works wonders,” Catalina replied from the doorway.

He stared at the three of them before turning back to Lucet. He hesitantly brushed some of the hair out of her face and took a steadying breath. He swooped down and gently pressed his lips to hers, holding himself there for a second before slowly pulling away. For a moment, nothing happened, and Pierre was about to leave when a loud gasp drew their attention.

“Lucet?” he asked, voice shaking with wonder. She nodded, staring at him with curious eyes.

_ “Qui êtes-vous?” _ she asked, staring at him with wide eyes.

He swallowed. “Pierre,” he replied and Lucet’s mouth fell open.

Try as she might, Anna could not stop the wide smile that appeared when Lucet woke up. She scooted to the back, content to give them some semblance of privacy and stared out the window instead.

“You are  _ such _ a romantic!” Jane exclaimed sofly, stepping up beside her. The German sputtered, trying to wipe the smile off her face.

“I- I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she replied, awkwardly clearing her throat. 

Jane’s smile grew wider. “Oh don’t be embarrassed,” she said, hooking an arm around the flustered queen’s shoulders and tugging Anna into a side hug, “I think it’s cute!”

Anna groaned, covering her face with one hand. “Never speak of this,” she muttered, fixing the blonde with a pointed look. 

Jane chuckled. “Alright,” she replied. Anna tuned in just in time to hear the following exchange. 

_ “Tu m'aimes toujours?” _ She asked, eyes wide with disbelief. Pierre cupped her face gently and rested their foreheads together.

_ “Mon amour, je n'ai jamais arrêté.” _

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> true loves kiss, amirite?
> 
> scream at me on tumblr: @judging-seahorse
> 
> lmao okie baii


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *gasp* a double update?? more likely than you think
> 
> lmao enjoy
> 
> pls feel free to leave comments and kudos bc they make my day, yall know thee drill
> 
> stay safe!
> 
> \- Zen

“According to Jenkins, the effects should wear off in a day or two. Just make sure that she stays hydrated,” Micah said, tiredly running a hand through her hair. The queens nodded, still shooting anxious glances at the door. 

“Get some rest you guys, she’s gonna be fine.”

One by one, the queens nodded and drifted off to their rooms, leaving only Catalina and Micah, standing in the hallway. The Guardian gave her a jerky nod and turned to leave when Catalina sighed.

“Micah,” she said, following after her, “I’m sorry for the way I acted earlier. It was wrong for me to snap at you and I said a few things in anger that I _absolutely_ did not mean.” 

Micah shrugged, one hand on the doorknob. “You were right though, it _is_ my fault. I guess I’m pretty bad at my job,” she mused with a weak smile, “It’s a wonder the Library hasn’t gotten rid of me yet.”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

“Goodnight, Catalina,” she tugged open the door, “I hope you sleep well.”

It shut with a quiet click and Catalina brought a hand to her temple, massaging the headache that was already beginning to appear.

\----

Anna sat on the edge of her bed, too tired to do anything but anxiously watch Cathy’s sleeping form. The final queen’s chest rose steadily and Anna huffed out a breath.

A few hours later, the door creaked open and Catalina shuffled inside. She held her hand out and Anna took it without question. She was led to Catalina and Jane’s room and told to get some rest. 

And so the night went, where, by some unspoken agreement, the queens traded off on keeping vigil over their sleeping teammate. 

\----

“You looked like you were having quite the dream,” Anne said, from where she was curled up on Anna’s bed, phone in hand. Cathy shut her eyes, regretting her decision as parts of her dream flashed through her mind.

“The spell plays back all your memories,” Cathy whispered, “ _all_ of them, even the ones you’d like to forget the most, just on a constant loop, getting more and more twisted and convoluted as time goes on.”

“Oh, Cathy,” Anne said, reaching out to grasp her hands. Cathy shifted away, looking like she was about to cry.

“I’m sorry,” Cathy said, eyes focused on her fingers as they played with the comforter. Anne tilted her head.

“It wasn’t your fault. I didn’t warn you in time,” she replied. Cathy shook her head.

“Not that.”

“Then... what?” There was no judgement in Anne’s voice, only curiosity and Cathy shut her eyes, swallowing harshly. She looked up and locked eyes with the second queen, and Anne was taken aback by the sheer desperation in them. 

“Just know that, from the bottom of my heart, that I am _sorry_ and if I could go back and fix it I would--”

“Fix what? Cathy, you’re scaring me, what happened?” Anne was beginning to worry that Cathy had hit herself on the head when she’d collapsed. Cathy shut her eyes, and a hand flew up to tug harshly at her hair.

“I have a few things I’d like you to read,” the final queen choked out, “and once you’ve read them you can... decide.”

“Decide what? Cathy, you’re _scaring me-”_

“Whether or not you can forgive me.”

Needless to say, that sentence left Anne with an uneasy feeling in her stomach that only grew when she saw the links to the articles present on her phone the next morning. With trembling fingers, she clicked on the first one, sharply inhaling when the name ‘Elizabeth Tudor’ appeared on the screen. 

\----

She crashed into the kitchen, phone gripped tightly in one hand and eyes blazing.

“Where’s Catherine?” she growled. Catalina and Kit exchanged confused glances.

“Which one?” Kit asked, shrinking back slightly in her seat. If Anne was paying better attention, she would've noticed the fear in her cousin's eyes.

_“Parr,”_ she practically spat the name out as her knuckles grew white.

“She was gone when I woke up this morning. I don't know when she's going to be back.”

“Well do you know where she _went?”_

“She might have gone to the Library,” Kit squeaked, as her fingers began to tangle in the hem of her sweater. Anne scowled and struck the door frame as she stormed back to her room.

“What do you think happened?” Kit asked, as Anne ran through the kitchen again, shoes haphazardly shoved on her feet. The door rattled with the amount of force she used to shut it, and the house was left in a deafening silence.

“Nothing good,” Catalina replied. She stood up, placing her mug in the sink, Kit following in suit, “Let's go make sure she doesn't commit murder.”

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And then i never update again...
> 
> lmao jk, but it will probably be a while before I update this series bc school... is a pain in the ass.
> 
> special thanks to Harmonic_Wisp for helping with the chapter! 
> 
> scream at me on tumblr: @judging-seahorse

**Author's Note:**

> lowkey, i felt like a professional bc i researched narcolepsy even though i only used it for like, a few sentences sdfjl;kasdfajfa
> 
> sorry if this was crap, I had a difficult time writing this chapter ripp.
> 
> special thanks to Harmonic_Wisp for being patient and helping me figure this chapter out sdffaf;jdshfjk


End file.
